by Laura Montgomery, MBA Marketing Manager

by Laura Montgomery, MBA Marketing Manager

Time schedule

The part-time MBA programme is designed for professionals (with any kind of educational background) to work full-time and study-part time. In 20 month (spread over 3 calendar years) the programme requires 62 teaching days of which 31 are week days.

Three modules are offered in block weeks (Monday-Friday/Saturday), one of them at China´s top business school: China Europe International Business School (CEIBS) in Shanghai. All other courses take place at the FS campus on weekends (Friday until Sunday).

Lecture Times

Friday

1:15 pm - 6:15 pm

Saturdays

9:00 am - 4:30 pm

Sundays

9:00 am - 4:30 pm

You can download the part-time MBA schedule here (Intake October 2018)

Curriculum

The part-time MBA is a 20-month programme with core and elective modules followed by 5 months to complete an MBA thesis (choose one): consultancy project, entrepreneurial business plan, research project.

Teaching methods

Our main teaching method: Participant-Centred Learning. The Participant-Centred Learning (PCL) concept was originally developed by Harvard Business School. By placing the student at the centre of the didactic process, this learning method is based on the principle that course participants will – for the most part – generate their own learning outcomes through structured discussions.The subjects under discussion are drawn from case studies that have been tailored to meet class objectives, based on real-world situations. Teamwork and group presentations are other key elements of this method.

MBA Leadership Camp

Get to know your new classmates during this activity-packed weekend retreat. Start developing many of the key skills you will employ throughout the programme, including teamwork, communication, and time management.

Introductory Courses (optional)

These courses are especially designed for students without a business background. Backed by online tutorials of Harvard Business School students get familiar with basis knowledge of the ‘language of business’.

Basic Finance

Basic Accountancy

Basic Statistics

Basic Micro Economics

Basic Macro Economics

Personal Development

Throughout semesters 1 - 4

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

An integral part of the MBA programme is your personal & career development. We assess your goals, create an action plan how to achieve them and accompany you during your MBA journey with trained staff and many years of career development experience. Let us support you on the way to the top!

INDIVIDUAL COACHING

Through coaching based on reliable selfassessments we help you to sharpen your personal and communication skills. Guided by a personal coach we will provide you with advice that helps you to re!ect on your personal and career achievements and your further development to master future challenges.

TEAMBUILDING & INTERCULTURAL AWARENESS

Working in teams is a crucial part in almost every job – and in our MBA programme. Team up with your class mates, form a unit, work together ef"ciently and deliver common results.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

In project management you will learn tools, techniques and innovative approaches to help you lead and manage projects within your organization. From classical project approaches to agile project teams and processes the underlying theory will be discussed and applied during group work assignments and case-studies.

EXECUTIVE TALKS

Board members and executives meet with MBA students to share and reflect on their personal experience of issues of strategic and supervisory importance, as managers and students are actively involved in organising and conducting the meeting with executives.

SUCCESSFUL PRESENTATION

In this seminar our MBA students learn how to improve their presentation skills through practice, video analysis and individual coaching. An effective presentation requires not only command of the language but also rhetorical skills and good structure.

Semester 1

Understanding Markets and the Business Cycle

In the last decade, more and more economic tools have been productively integrated in managerial decision making. Typical examples are game theory as well as the analysis of incentive problems and negotiations. In the first part of the course, the economic perspective on business problems is discussed by combining standard theories on strategic thinking and behavioral decision making with insights from empirical and experimental research. In the second part students get familiar with the current global business cycle and macroeconomic policies as important features of the business environment.

Lecturers

Managing Financial Performance

Unless a company is successful financially, it does not matter how good a company's products or services are. In the most basic sense, financial success is business success and requires an effective and state-of-the art financial performance management.

The aim of this module is to introduce students how to measure performance and use this information internally to implement corporate strategy and externally to communicate and inform external stakeholders. A major emphasis is put on accounting information as "the primary language of business" although the course also covers alternative performance information such as customer satisfaction measures or the growing importance of social media information.

For strategy implementation and managerial performance management, a particular emphasis is put on the measurement of performance at different levels in an organization. It will be discussed extensively how non-financial and financial performance measures can be used for decision-making and control to implement corporate strategy. For information of external stakeholders, a particular emphasis is put on financial accounting information such as understanding the structure, details and interconnections between the balance sheet and the income statement based on International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). Students will learn how this information can be interpreted and used by external stakeholders of an organization.

Lecturers

Developing Strategy

The module explores how to evaluate and develop effective business strategies. We discuss key drivers of profitability and examine how market structures, competitor behaviour, and the resources and capabilities of a company contribute to sustained profitability. The module then analyzes how value creation and value capture affect competitive positioning and the design of business models. Finally, we discuss how corporate strategy -- diversification moves and vertical integration -- may create or destroy value for shareholders and other stakeholders.

Leadership & Change Management

People are often described as a difficult to imitate resource of a company that helps to create competitive advantage. At the same time employees are sometimes seen as a barrier to change hindering a company to react to new demands in the market within an appropriate time span.

In our module management approaches will be presented and discussed that contribute to achieving strategic organizational goals by building a competent and forward looking workforce whose capabilities are built through effective selection and development, training and development and performance management. HR practices are envisioned as key strategy implementation tools which give realisation to the strategic vision and purpose of the organisation enabled through feedback and learning. The role of leadership, middle management support and employee participation in decision making are particularly emphasised. Change models are also examined intensively through the use of case studies of leading firms.

Lecturers

Patrick Flood

Professor of Organizational Behaviour at Dublin City University Business School in Ireland.

Skill Courses (optional)

Teambuilding & Intercultural Management

Presentation & Communication

Regression Analysis

Project Management

Colloquium: In the Boardroom

Semester 2

Managing Marketing and Innovation

"The purpose of business is to create and keep a customer" – this statement by Peter Drucker is as true today as it was 60 years ago. In this course, we will discuss marketing and innovation strategies for targeting, acquiring, retaining, and developing customers. Students will learn how to quantify marketing success and how to evaluate the contribution of marketing and innovation activities to the overall success of the firm.

Lecturer

Elective Courses

See more info below

International Strategy Week at China Europe International Business School (CEIBS), Shanghai, China

The China Europe International Business School (CEIBS) is the leading business school in mainland China and one of the leading business schools in Asia and worldwide. The module International Strategy explores how to evaluate and develop effective business strategies in an international context by concentrating on shareholder and stakeholder value. A special focus is given to respective business strategies in Asia and China.

Semester 3

Financing the Enterprise

The purpose of the Finance the Enterprise module is the introduction of techniques to analyse major financial decisions made by corporations. The module focuses on finance concepts that can be applied directly to real-life financial decision making. Main topics covered in the course include hurdle rates and the cost of capital (i.e., the investment decision), the mix of debt and equity and the choice of the right kind of debt (i.e., the financing decisions), basic valuation concepts (i.e., discounted-cash flow and multiples valuation), mergers and acquisitions, and corporate governance. The course enables participants to make and assess complex corporate financial decisions.

Lecturer

Organisational Behavior & Business Ethics

The leadership and organisational behaviour part of the course focuses on individual, team, organisational and social factors affecting people’s behavior at work. Various models and approaches to leading and behaving will be reviewed. In their everyday work, leaders make decisions, either individually or in teams, which have substantial bearing on the sustainability of companies. However, the human mind has only limited capacity to evaluate and process the information that is available, and only a limited amount of time is available to make a decision. As a result, even individuals who intend to make rational choices are bound to make satisficing (rather than maximising or optimising) choices in complex situations. The course will focus on bounded rationality both at the individual level and in teams and discuss how to ensure quality and perspective taking in decision-making and leadership processes. Besides decision-making, influencing, coaching, and motivating employees are core challenges in managerial work. Drawing on insights from various research directions, the course will discuss three logics that drive people’s actions at work. Critical-ethical reflections will be encouraged in considering the subsequent conclusions regarding students’ individual approach to leadership and behavior in organisations.

The second part of the course elaborates on ethical and responsibility dilemmas at the level of individuals, businesses, and society. It reflects the philosophy of business, one aim of which is to determine the fundamental purposes of a company.

Students will be able to develop an independent analysis and provide solutions to questions relating to managers and corporations’ dispositions and their ethical and societal consequences. Knowledge gained from this course forms the basis of strategic and operational decisions relating to the structure and management of a business.

Lecturer

Managing Technology & Operations

The course 'Managing Technology & Operations', a core course of the Frankfurt School's MBA programme deals with essential aspects and concepts of operations management and technology and provides the required tools for an efficient improvement of business processes.

The course 'Managing Technology & Operations' explores how a company can use the operations functions of the organisation to contribute gaining a competitive advantage. In order to realise intended process improvements, relevant concepts and techniques are discussed. Hence, it is a key question of this course how process improvements can be achieved by using the respective concepts. Furthermore, critical implementation aspects will be discussed.

Lecturer

Semester 4

Electives

See more info below

Capstone Course: Entrepreneurial Management

Introduction

Courses in entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial management have gained popularity in business schools everywhere, but it is not clear just what should be taught and how. In contrast to accounting, for example, entrepreneurship lacks a defined technical base or discipline. Moreover, individuals and organizations ranging from street vendors to transnational corporations all espouse entrepreneurial activity, which suggests that the topic should permeate all of business education. What can the focus of a special course on innovation and entrepreneurship possibly be?

The mission adopted for the Entrepreneurial Management course is to prepare MBA and EMBA students to start and nurture their own businesses (whether such businesses are new or within established organizations). Business schools admit students with great talent and high long-term expectations of responsibility, autonomy, and financial reward. Historically, some MBA and EMBA students have had an innate desire to run their own businesses, but many of those who didn't often turned to entrepreneurship after they confronted the realities of a pyramidal corporate world.

Further, it is widely recognized that even the future leaders of large business corporations must have an entrepreneurial mindset, in order to create the growth engines that will provide sustainable growth opportunities to their organizations.

This course will provide an overview of innovation and entrepreneurship that will help entrepreneurs in independent start-ups as well as large corporations pursue new business opportunities.

Topics to be covered:

What is entrepreneurship?

How are opportunities identified and how can they be evaluated?

What different kinds of resources do start-ups need and how can they be mobilized?

How can a start-up develop and fine tune its business model?

What are some of challenges associated with growth?

What are the unique challenges of launching new businesses from established companies?

Lecturer

Master Thesis / Consultancy Project

MBA Master Thesis

The MBA Master Thesis in the final months of the MBA programme provides students with three options to put their newly developed skills into practice and to demonstrate their analytical and research competency at the Master level through a major piece of work:

Consulting Project (CP)

Entrepreneurial Business Plan (EBP)

Research Project (RP)

Consulting Project (CP)

A Consulting Project (CP) is performed by a student in consultation with the academic supervisor of Frankfurt School on an agreed strategy or management problem of their organisation. It is expected that the CP results in practical, implementable recommendations to the company. Frankfurt School explicitly encourages project teams of up to 4 students. In case of team work, the contributions of the individual team members must be identifiable, such that individual assessment is possible.

Entrepreneurial Business Plan (EBP)

An Entrepreneurial Business Plan (EBP) by a student in consultation with the academic supervisor of Frankfurt School means a comprehensive business plan for the establishment and start-up phase of a new enterprise/initiative, according to a set format. An EBP may also be performed by a group of up to 4 students.

Research Project (RP)

A (traditional) thesis as a major, individual piece of work, on a subject of conceptual/research interest for business, following a set of scholarly criteria typical for scholarly work, like in a conventional Master thesis.

Elective Courses (One required plus one optional in the second or in the fourth semester

Managing Digitalisation & Big Data

Digitalisation focuses on transforming processes, products, or entire business models through information technology. The ubiquity of digital technologies in terms of enterprise applications, but also sensors, social media, and different kinds of mobile devices, the tremendously increasing availability of various kinds of data, and the development of analytical tools and capabilities for handling and utilizing these vast amounts of "Big Data" enable firms to transform any facet of their business – from optimising or re-engineering the business processes and operations, via changing the way how business decisions are made to digitalising the customer interface, products and services, or re-inventing the whole business model.

In this module, students will get an overview about the opportunities and challenges of managing digital transformation. They will get a basic understanding about how information systems support the operations of an organisation, they will learn about the range of technologies and analytical approaches that help to utilise “Big Data”, and they will develop competencies to use this knowledge for transforming parts of a business towards a digital business. They will also get insights into the fundamental challenges of establishing a firm-wide IT platform, which is required to run digital initiatives and to enable data-driven processes and business models. Finally, we will discuss the economic and societal changes that come along with the digital transformation of firms and industries.

Lecturers

Investments and M&A

The objective of this course is to undertake a rigorous study of the theory and empirical evidence relevant to investment management. It will introduce you to the characteristics of various financial securities and discuss the risks and rewards associated with them.

The elective will also introduce the basics of M&A: M&A strategy, target search, transaction processes, valuation techniques and factors for success and failure in M&A.

Lecturer

Lecturer

Fritjof Franz

Director Business Development and Head of M&A, Paul Hartmann AG

Organisational Design

The course introduces key principles and methods used in designing effective organisations. Participants will learn how to select an organisational model that fits a firm’s strategy and business processes, and to implement the model by creating or adjusting sub-units, roles, reporting structures, and other elements. The teaching methods include case analyses, theoretical and conceptual discussions, as well as a simulated organisation design project (performed by groups of students).

Supply chains are networks of organizations (suppliers, manufacturers, distributors, retailers) that jointly supply and transform materials, and distribute products and services to consumers. If designed and managed properly, these networks are a crucial source of competitive advantage for both manufacturing and service enterprises. Each day, companies such as Amazon, Apple, Dell, and Zara try to leverage their supply chain management capabilities to achieve sustainable growth far ahead of their competition. This course develops a framework of supply chain drivers, that helps students understand the financial implications of a firm’s ability to align its supply shain strategy with its overarching competitive strategy. Importantly, the course addresses supply chain tailoring: what is the right supply chain strategy for one product (say, diapers), may well be the wrong strategy for another (say, fashionable shoes).

Lecturer

Renewable Energy Finance

The elective “Renewable Energy Finance” will provide an overview of the regulatory environment as it is shaped by climate related policies. Together with an introduction to the specifics of electricity markets (e.g. grids, volatile and intermittent sources, challenge of storability) the approaches to finance renewables-based electricity generation will be discussed. We will look at project finance transactions for wind or photovoltaic and identify major risks and potential mitigants. Along this we also discuss the role of public finance institutions (e.g. World Bank or national promotional banks) and their respective toolbox for investment support (e.g. concessional loans, guarantees), as these institutions play a significant role at a global scale. Global market trends will be discussed.

A significant part of the course will be dedicated to debate topical issues from the field. These may include: (i) characterising different forms of “Green Bonds”; (ii) relation between financial markets and climate change impacts and policies; (iii) trend to securitise renewables-portfolios through so-called “YieldCos” (tradable equity); (iv) impact of developments at the level of the UN climate negotiations.

Lecturer

Prof. Löchel explains the Current Account.

To what do the Big Four Chinese banks owe their success and how do they compare to their international peer banks? Prof. Horst Löchel from our Economics Department speaks of his experience with the Chinese financial system and the developments he foresees in the banking sector.

Each month our MBA students have a boardroom meeting with leaders from German industry and business. This month, we were pleased to welcome Prof. Dr. Klaus-Peter Müller, Chairman of the Supervisory Board at Commerzbank, to share his insights. Previous events have included leading figures such as Dr. Lutz Raettig (Chairman of the Board, Morgan Stanley), Prime Minister a.D. Roland Koch, Dr. Piotr Bednarczuk (Head Corporate HR, Merck) and many more. The overall goal is to introduce students to responsibilities, decision-making progresses and life experiences of these successful executives and for them to learn business etiquette and extend their network.

Frankfurt School was pleased to welcome our inaugural Full-Time MBA class. During the course of 2 days of outdoor activities, the students strengthened the leadership and teamwork skills that they will need throughout their studies.

Class Profile

Intake 2017

Number of students

38

Nationalities

14

Average Work Experience (years)

4

Gender

Female

21%

Male

79%

Work Experience (years)

< 2

5%

2-3

23%

3-4

21%

4-5

18%

5-6

10%

6-7

7%

7

2%

9-10

7%

> 10

2%

Age

23-25

21%

26-27

18%

28-29

18%

30-31

15%

32-33

5%

34-35

10%

36-38

8%

Industry Background

Banking

18%

Automotive & Components

13%

Aviation/Aerospace

8%

Mechanical Engineering

8%

Consulting

5%

Education

5%

Energy

5%

Healthcare/Pharmaceuticals

5%

Information Technology

5%

Retail

5%

Asset Management

3%

Financial services (excl. banking)

3%

Real Estate

3%

Technology

3%

Other

11%

Geographic Origin

China

Iran

Colombia

Italy

Croatia

Lithuania

France

Poland

Germany

Russia

Greece

Singapore

India

UK

Career & Personal Development

By definition, part-time MBA participants remain in full-time employment, often studying with the support and agreement of their company. Their companies are investing in them as future managers and so prefer to encourage a part-time MBA rather than allowing them to disappear for a year.

Let us support you on the way to the top:

Leadership camp

Individual coaching

Teambuilding

Project management

Executive talks

Presentation skills

MehrWeniger

The aim is to support the career progression of their top talent rather than seeing them leave for the competition. By supporting a part-time MBA as part of an internal development plan, companies are able to retain their top young managers while also allowing them to gain vital management and leadership skills.

This contrasts from the typical full-time MBA candidate who is often looking for a career change: change of function, change of industry, or change of country. Even where part-time MBA candidates are still aiming for career change, they usually have an agreement with their current employer to study and work at the same time.

An integral part of the MBA programme is your personal & career development
We assess your goals, create an action plan how to achieve them and accompany you during your MBA journey with trained staff and many years of career development experience.

"A true MBA experience is as much about the business knowledge gained in the class as it is about soft-skills. Therefore we have tailored the Career Development programme to deliver a range of leadership, teamwork and individual skills that will benefit our alumni throughout their careers."

Karin Reuschenbach-Coutinho, Head of Career Services

Career Service

Right from the start of your studies our Career Services team is part of your Frankfurt School experience. Our experts offer individual advice and professional answers to all your questions about jobs and careers.

Frankfurt School graduates are known for their first class-analytical skills and practical knowledge. To prepare MBA students for successful future careers, we provide the following services:

Individual career planning and placement support

CV checking

Job market preparation

Professional skills workshops and application trainings

Job board

Career fairs

Corporate presentations and workshops

Career Services newsletter

Access to Frankfurt School’s career network with corporate partners and alumni

The aim of our professional services is simple: to enhance the professional development of our students and to assist in preparing them as thoroughly as possible for a successful career. Our Career Services team is here to help you make the most of your next career step.

2. AC and /or Interview

After reviewing your application documents, we will invite qualified candidates to participate in a personal interview with a faculty member of Frankfurt School. The purpose of the interview is to gain a better understanding of your character, personality, expectations, motivations and goals. We can arrange telephone or Skype interviews for those applicants who can not travel to Frankfurt.

MehrWeniger

We also offer the opportunity to take our internal admission test, the FS Admission Test. This exam is an alternative to the GMAT/GRE and tests your critical thinking, ability to solve problems and reading comprehension skills. The test is free of charge, and you can register for it in the online application.

3. Results

The final decision regarding admissions into our MBA programme will be based on a combination of the candidate’s academic qualifications, English language abilities, admissions test score, case study essay, work experience and interview results. Admission results are generally announced within 2-4 weeks after your interview.

4. Start of the programme

The Frankfurt MBA begins in early October. All students are expected to be at Frankfurt School on the first day of the programme. For non-EU applicants who require a visa to enter Germany, please keep in mind that it can take up to two or three months to obtain the necessary visa.

MehrWeniger

Our programme staff is available should you have any questions or concerns regarding your application or admission status. We look forward to welcoming you on board!

Application Checklist

All information is intended to provide a general overview of the study programme. Frankfurt School of Finance & Management reserves the right to modify the curriculum, the schedule or any parts thereof. The same applies to the tuition fees and internal and external examination fees.

Financing and Scholarships

Investing in your future

Your MBA degree is an investment in your professional future. As a business school of international standing, we not only provide you the best conditions for earning a degree – we also offer you excellent career development. When you make the decision to study at Frankfurt School, your current financial situation shouldn’t be the factor that holds you back. At the same time, it’s important to make sensible preparations for funding your studies. If you wish a personal consultation, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Payments

Once you have been admitted to the The Frankfurt MBA programme, we kindly ask you to make a tuition fee deposit of 5,000 Euros to secure your place in the programme. The remaining fees will be paid in regular instalments at the beginning of each semester. If you were granted a scholarship, then the total amount reduces by the given scholarship amount.

Example:

Total cost part-time MBA: 36,000 Euro
Down payment to secure place in the programme: 5000 Euro
Tuition fee semester 1 (due at the beginning of the semester): 7750 Euro
Tuition fee semester 2 (due at the beginning of the semester): 7750 Euro
Tuition fee semester 3 (due at the beginning of the semester): 7750 Euro
Tuition fee semester 4 (due at the beginning of the semester): 7750 Euro

*adjustments to the payment schedule can be discussed individually

Frankfurt School Scholarships

There are a limited number of partial scholarships available for outstanding candidates. If you apply for a scholarship by May 31, your application will be considered for funding by the Scholarship Committee. Scholarships will be awarded to candidates with outstanding academic or business track record or excellent performance during the admissions process.

All scholarship decisions are merit-based, although financial hardship may also be taken into consideration in special cases. Scholarships are awarded at the discretion of the Scholarship Committee and decisions are final. Scholarships will only be awarded to cover tuition fees and will be deducted from the total tuition amount. No funds are available to cover living expenses.

The Generation Contract Study first, pay later: the Generation Contract is an innovative model to finance your studies. The GC allows the applicant to study at Frankfurt School without paying tuition fees during the study programme.

Bildungsfonds offers funding to help cover living costs, tuition fees, and other expenses during the MBA programme. Funding is available for both EU and non-EU citizens. Applicants must complete a multi-stage selection process – part of the process is conducted in German, so at least basic German language skills are highly recommended. Engineers can apply for the specialised Festo-Bildungsfonds.

Deutsche Bildung AG offers financial support to German and international students studying in Germany

Student loans for US citizens are available by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Frankfurt School’s US Federal School Code is G40153.

Private loans are available from many banks to support educational expenses. We recommend that you contact your local banks to find out what options are available.

#FSMBA on Social Media

Information Events

Would you like to get a first-hand impression of what our business school and our MBA programmes are really like? Meet The Frankfurt MBA Programme Director, talk with current students, take part in a classroom lecture, or tour our campus. It's all possible through individually scheduled consultations, sample lectures and our regular MBA Evenings!

Sample lectures

Visit an MBA class this semester to discuss a case study with academic staff and current MBA students. This is your chance to experience typical classroom subjects, teaching techniques, and learning methods.

Feel free to contact our MBA team to arrange a campus visit, including a guided tour of the campus.

MBA Evenings

Learn more about our MBA and EMBA programmes at one of our MBA Evenings! Benefit from personal conversations with our professors and programme directors and find out which programme could help you realise your full potential.